tour as officer of the day, which has just been
described.

It appeared that O'Grady had been absent from no duty (there were no
drills in that scorching June weather), but that, yielding to the advice
of his comrades, who knew that he had eaten nothing for two days and was
drinking steadily into a condition that would speedily bring punishment
upon him, he had asked permission to be sent to the hospital, where,
while he could get no liquor, there would be no danger attendant upon
his sudden stop of all stimulant. The first sergeant carried his request
with the sick-book to Captain Buxton, O'Grady meantime managing to take
two or three more pulls at the bottle, and Buxton, instead of sending
him to the hospital, sent for him, inspected him, and did what he had no
earthly authority to do, directed the sergeant of the guard to confine
him at once in the dark cell.

"It will be no punishment as he is now," said Buxton to himself, "but it
will be hell when he wakes."

And so it had been; and far worse it probably would have been but for
Mr. Billings's merciful interference.

Expecting to find his victim in a condition bordering upon the abject
and ready to beg for mercy at any sacrifice of pluck or pride, Buxton
had gone to the guard-house soon after retreat and told the sergeant
that he desired to see O'Grady, if the man was fit to come out.

What was his surprise when the soldier stepped forth in his trimmest
undress uniform, erect and steady, and stood unflinchingly before
him!--a day's rest and quiet, a warm bath, wholesome and palatable food,
careful nursing, and the kind treatment he had received having brought
him round with a sudden turn that he himself could hardly understand.

"How is this?" thundered Buxton. "I ordered you kept in the dark cell."

"The officer of the day ordered him released, sir," said the sergeant of
the guard.

And Buxton, choking with rage, stormed into the mess-room, where the
younger officers were at dinner, and, regardless of the time, place, or
surroundings, opened at once upon his subaltern:

"Mr. Billings, by whose authority did you release O'Grady from the dark
cell?"

Mr. Billings calmly applied his napkin to his moustache, and then as
calmly replied, "By my own, Captain Buxton."

"By ----! sir, you exceeded your authority."

"Not at all, captain; on the contrary, you exceeded yours."

At this Buxton flew into a rage that seemed to deprive him of all
control over his